Fresh Mex Sweet Corn Tomalito

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Have any of you been to Chevy's? The Mexican restaurant? They have the best flautas. Seriously, the best. And they have pretty awesome quesadillas. And their fajitas are pretty terrific, too. But the show stopper is the little pillow of sweet corn tomalito they put on each plate. It's light and fluffy and delicious. That's my favorite part of the meal whenever I go there. Corn casserole is my favorite thing at a Tex Mex restaurant? Yes. Trust me.

They are able to get it light and fluffy because they cook it over a double boiler instead of baking it. The steam cooks the corn mixture, but it doesn't dry it out. Pure genius. I love this stuff and will be making it again and again. Enjoy and happy Cinco de Mayo eve!

This is what it looks like over the double boiler. You can see the condensation on the plastic wrap.

This is what it looks like when it's done. Soft and moist.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup Masa Harina
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen, thawed, divided
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon milk

In a small mixing bowl, mix the margarine, masa and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

In a blender container, blend half the corn kernels with the water until smooth.

Combine this mixture with the margarine mixture, stirring well. Add the remaining corn kernels, corn meal, baking powder, salt and milk and mix well.

Pour the corn mixture into an 8-inch square baking pan.

Tightly cover with plastic wrap and steam by setting atop a medium saucepan of water on top of the stove.

Bring water to a boil and steam corn mixture for 50 minutes to one hour (check to see whether you might need to add more water), until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Tomalito should have a smooth, moist texture.

NOTE: The pan must be tightly wrapped at all times.

Source: Razzle Dazzle

Crock Pot Queso Dip

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Happy Monday! Today we're kicking off Cinco de Mayo week. There's nothing like a good, hearty queso to ring in the holiday. Whenever we go to my favorite Mexican restaurants, I always make sure we order queso. There's something about that gooey, melty delicious cheese dip that has got me addicted. Most of the restaurants we go to serve it with chips or warm tortillas, but you can also try the Melting Pot way by serving it with apples, carrots and bread. Anything you dip into this will be delicious. I mean, you can't really go wrong with cheese dip!

This recipe is great since you can make it in your crockpot, so once everything is cooked and in there, there's really nothing left for you to do. I browned the meat ahead of time so that when I went to go make this all I had to do was throw it all together. Since Cinco de Mayo is on a Thursday this year, I'm sure this will come in handy to a lot of you who have to work all day. Then you can come home to this creamy, meaty queso dip. Whip up a refreshing margarita and you're set!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1 package Taco Seasoning
• 1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage
• 2 pounds Velveeta
• 2 cans Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)

Brown the beef in a large frying pan. Drain the fat and return to the pan. Mix in the taco seasoning as instructed on package. Once done, add to crock pot.

Brown the hot sausage in the same pan. Once cooked through, drain the fat and add it to the crock pot with the beef.  

Cut up Velveeta into cubes. Add the cheese and tomatoes to the crock pot. Stir until well combined.

Cook on low until all melty and gooey, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Serve with chips, veggies, or on top of hot dogs. 

Source: Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Southwest Chicken Quesadillas: 2 Ways!

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I love quesadillas. And I love options. I'll be the first to admit that I like to stick to a game plan, and when things stray from what I'm expecting I get a little flustered. Some may call it OCD, but I think there's nothing wrong with planning ahead. But just because I am organized and like things done a certain way, doesn't mean that I don't enjoy options. I love hearing other opinions or ideas and takes on things. It makes life more fun!

I think quesadillas are a perfect weeknight dinner since they're quick and easy and are very versatile. In addition to a regular quesadilla that includes two round tortillas stacked on top of each other with filling in between, I decided to step outside the box and try something different. This rolled-up quesadilla option, seen below, is perfect for kids and is a great appetizer for get-togethers. As with all quesadillas, the filling is pretty much up to you as long as you have cheese. You need cheese. I guess you don't really, but that gooey, hot mess is what makes it really stinkin' good.

Directions for both options are posted below. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup bbq sauce
• 1 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 can corn kernels, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 2 cups reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese, shredded
• 8 flour tortillas

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and cook until no longer pink, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from the saucepan and place on a cutting board. Allow to cool slightly. Cut the chicken into strips or cubes, whatever you prefer, and place in a large bowl. Add the bbq sauce and mix. You may need to add more, depending on how much sauce you want on your chicken.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet. Once heated, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add the corn and black beans and toss until combined. Finally, add the bbq chicken and cook just until the bbq sauce is heated through.

FIRST METHOD-Traditional Quesadilla

Using a pastry brush or paper towel (my preferred method) lightly brush one side of each tortilla with canola or vegetable oil.

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add first tortilla, oil side down. Top with 1/4 cup of grated cheese (or more if you like it extra cheesy). Spoon a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture over top of the cheese. Add more cheese if desired. Cover with another tortilla, oil side up.

After the bottom turns lightly brown and the cheese starts to melt, use a spatula to flip the quesadilla over so you can brown the other side. Wait until the other side turns light brown and the cheese is completely melted and then remove from skillet. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Cut each into four equal triangles.

Note: If it is too hard for you to flip the quesadillas using this method, you can do one tortilla at a time. Instead of adding an additional tortilla on top of the filling, fold the tortilla in half in the skillet and continue cooking until cheese is melted, flipping halfway through.

SECOND METHOD-Quesadilla Roll-Up

Using a pastry brush or paper towel (my preferred method) lightly brush both sides of each tortilla with canola or vegetable oil.

Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add tortilla and cook until the first side is slightly brown.

Flip tortilla so that the second side is face down. Top the cooked side with 1/4 cup of grated cheese (or more if you like it extra cheesy). Spoon a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture over top of the cheese. Add more cheese if desired. Cook until the second side of the quesadilla is lightly brown and the cheese is completely melted.

Remove tortilla from the skillet and place on a plate. Immediately (or as soon as it's not too hot to touch) roll the tortilla up tightly. Allow to set for a few minutes. Cut the quesadilla roll-up into six equal pieces.

Tip: If your cheese is not melting, cover the skillet with a lid. The steam with help with this process.


Source: SK Original

Sausage and Hash Brown Bake

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Back in 2009 my parents got remarried and we had a lot of family attending from New York. My brother and sister-in-law hosted brunch the following day at their house, and I volunteered to make a bunch of different dishes. I came across this recipe and decided to try it out. Man oh man, am I glad I did. It's a real crowd pleaser and super easy to make. 

You can fool any guest and have them think it took you hours to prepare, but in reality it takes a total of ten minutes! Half the recipe for a family or double it for a potluck, it's sure to put a smile on everyone's face. You can even make it the night before and just pop it in the oven the next morning. How perfect is that!?

It's really addictive, so even if you're just making it for your family making double won't hurt anyone. I made it again for a friend's birthday breakfast the other weekend and the six of us cleared the dish. I'm positive you will, too!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
Makes 12 servings

• 2 packages (12 oz. each) bulk sausage
• 4 cups Simply Potatoes Southwestern Hash Browns OR
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cups hash brown potatoes
• 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups (8 oz.) Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Bisquick
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 4 eggs

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 13x9 inch baking dish.

Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat. If using onion and bell pepper separately, add this to the sausage mixture to cook. Cook until sausage is no longer pink; drain.

Stir together sausage, hash browns and 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar cheese. Pour into baking dish.

In a separate bowl, stir together Bisquick, milk, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour into baking dish over sausage mixture.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake until cheese melts. Cool for 5 minutes.



Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker

Carrot Cupcakes

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Hey everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic Easter with family and friends. I'm going to make today's post kind of short for two reasons. 1) It's Monday morning, and it feels like a Monday morning. 2) It's my birthday, and that's the perfect excuse to be a little lazy :) 

I made these carrot cupcakes yesterday for Easter dessert and wanted to share them as soon as possible. So today they're doubling as my birthday cupcakes! Carrot cake is one of my favorite types of cake, and this is the best recipe I've found so far. The applesauce makes the cake extra moist and delicious, which is the only way I like my carrot cake. And you can't have carrot cake without cream cheese frosting. They just go hand in hand. 

Hope you all enjoy! Happy Monday and thanks for stopping by!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
• 3/4 pound raw carrots (about 2 1/2 cups), finely grated
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 cup safflower, vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.  Place fluted paper liners in 18 muffin cups.

Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

Peel and finely grate the carrots. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs until frothy (about 1 minute). Gradually add the sugar and beat until the batter is thick and light colored (about 3 - 4 minutes). Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract and applesauce. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots and chopped nuts. Evenly divide the batter between the 18 muffin cups (fill each cup about 2/3 full) and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.  

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. With a knife or small metal spatula spread cream cheese frosting (recipe below) on top of each cupcake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

In bowl of electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter, on low speed, just until blended with no lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat, on low speed, until fully incorporated and smooth.  Beat in the vanilla extract.

Source: Adapted from Joy of Baking